Huang Qiao's sudden action left everyone else bewildered.

An elderly man laughed heartily and teased, "Old Huang, without a wife, is now playing tricks. Let's not bother with him and continue our discussion."

The others nodded and smiled. With Huang Qiao gone, there was one less competitor, and a strong one at that.

Zhang Yang looked at the crowd with a half-smile and said lightly, "Let's wait a bit longer. Who knows, maybe someone's concubine will give birth soon."

Though the whispering earlier was very quiet, how could it escape Lingyunzi's spiritual sense?

"The city lord does not allow any forces from Anqing City to cooperate with the Azurecloud Sect. Violators will be expelled from Anqing City!"

This was the message the young man had brought to Huang Qiao.

The others were confused. Did they not know if their concubines were giving birth?

However, since the immortal from the Azurecloud Sect said so, they decided to wait a bit longer.

In the span of two breaths, a middle-aged man rushed in and whispered something to an elderly man, whose face changed drastically. He stood up and said, "Everyone, I... my wife has died, I must return at once."

With two incidents in a row, the others sensed something strange.

Soon after, people kept arriving and leaving.

Each person left with an awkward expression. The earlier ones found some excuses, but the later ones didn't even bother, simply cupping their hands and leaving.

In an instant, the bustling top-floor room of the Hongqing Pavilion turned quiet, leaving only Zhang Yang and Lingyunzi.

"How dare they insult our Azurecloud Sect like this!" Lingyunzi fumed, "I'm going to see just how bold this city lord is."

Seeing so many people come to discuss business, he thought Zhang Yang would surely earn a fortune for the Azurecloud Sect, but it was all ruined by the city lord in an instant.

Thinking about the more than a thousand spirit stones spent without achieving anything, Lingyunzi was furious.

The Azurecloud Sect had been low-key these years, but they weren't to be bullied.

They hadn't cultivated for so many years just to be humiliated.

"Uncle Master, wait!" Zhang Yang hurriedly stopped him, "If you go to settle accounts with the city lord now, we won't have the upper hand. If people think our Azurecloud Sect is arrogant and unreasonable, no one will cooperate with us in the future."

Lingyunzi, still angry, asked, "So we just endure this?"

Zhang Yang shook his head, "Of course not! But even if we want to trouble the city lord, this isn't the way. Uncle Master, calm down, it's not worth it."

Lingyunzi sat down heavily, picked up a wine cup, and drank it in one go.

"We haven't even sold any talismans yet!" Lingyunzi sighed, "What should we do?"

Zhang Yang was also pondering how to resolve this issue.

He hadn't expected the city lord of Anqing City to forbid all forces from cooperating, which obstructed the plan to introduce Azurecloud Sect's talismans into Anqing City.

Selling these talismans wasn't difficult; they could set up a stall or even sell them openly at Hongqing Pavilion. It would be embarrassing, but they couldn't keep doing that forever.

As Zhang Yang was still thinking, the door opened again, and several people walked in.

Zhang Yang was a bit surprised to see them. Were there still people coming?

A group of three, led by a woman in a black dress, with skin as white as snow and a captivating figure, though her face seemed somewhat... ordinary? Accompanied by a maid and a servant, they appeared to be from a wealthy family.

That face didn't match that figure at all!

"Hello, did you come to the wrong place?" Zhang Yang asked, a bit puzzled.

The woman in the black dress smiled, "If this is the Azurecloud Sect's bidding place, then I'm in the right spot."

"Oh? Please have a seat, miss. May I know your name?" Zhang Yang stood up to invite her.

"Wang Mingyue!"

"Thinking of home?" Zhang Yang blurted out.

Wang Mingyue was taken aback, the maid was speechless, and the middle-aged man in blue raised his eyebrows.

Zhang Yang immediately realized his mistake and quickly smiled, "I apologize, hearing your name reminded me of a poem. I was a bit abrupt, please forgive me."

He truly hadn't expected someone to have that name, instinctively thinking it was an alias.

Wang Mingyue didn't respond to Zhang Yang's words, instead, she glanced at the situation on the table and asked, "Your bidding seems quite unique, the guests haven't arrived, but the wine is already poured."

Zhang Yang laughed and said directly, "They were here, but perhaps we offended the city lord, who doesn't allow cooperation, so they left. Miss, you should leave too; you'll have to eventually."

Wang Mingyue sat down opposite Zhang Yang and asked, "Telling me this, aren't you afraid the talismans won't sell?"

Zhang Yang smiled proudly, "Good things are never hard to sell. Besides, this is something that can't be hidden. You'll find out sooner or later, so why hide it?"

The middle-aged man in blue nodded and whispered to Wang Mingyue, "Miss, we really shouldn't offend the city lord. Especially since we need to settle in Anqing City, offending the city lord would be troublesome."

Although cooperating with the Azurecloud Sect had its benefits, the city lord of Anqing City posed an immediate threat.

Wang Mingyue pondered silently, without speaking.

Zhang Yang keenly grasped the meaning in the middle-aged man's words and asked, "You're not from Anqing City?"

The middle-aged man glanced at Lingyunzi.

Wang Mingyue looked at Zhang Yang, nodded, and said, "We are indeed not from Anqing City, nor even from the Cloudmount Empire. So, we really can't afford to offend the city lord. Even if we really want your talismans, even if it's a money-making opportunity for us, we have to give it up."

After speaking, she stood up to leave.

Zhang Yang also stood up, smiling, "If you just need a place to stay, that's easy."

"Oh?" Wang Mingyue stopped and looked at Zhang Yang, waiting for his explanation.

Zhang Yang pointed to the Azurecloud Sect, "Three hundred miles away, there's the Azurecloud Market, which is under our sect's control. I can allow you to settle there and agree to cooperate with you in selling the talismans."

"Market?" Wang Mingyue pouted.

Clearly, she didn't think much of the market. Even if she was down and out, she wouldn't go to a market.

Zhang Yang smiled proudly, "Miss Wang Mingyue, you may not think much of the Azurecloud Market now, but I can assure you, in the near future, wanting to settle there will be as difficult as climbing to the heavens. If I were you, I'd seize the opportunity to settle in the Azurecloud Market and secure a piece of land; it's the best investment. You've come from a foreign land, there must be reasons, and your safety isn't guaranteed. But the Azurecloud Market can ensure your safety."

Wang Mingyue smiled faintly, "Isn't your Azurecloud Sect the biggest threat? Besides, what right do you have to guarantee for the Azurecloud Sect? What right do you have to say you'll expand a small market?"

Lingyunzi gave the middle-aged man a meaningful look and said to Wang Mingyue, "He can indeed guarantee it! Because he is the acting sect master of the Azurecloud Sect!"

"What?" Wang Mingyue looked at Zhang Yang in disbelief.

The middle-aged man in blue was also shocked, looking at Zhang Yang. Such a young, weak acting sect master, had the Azurecloud Sect gone mad?